Rudy in the Basement
by Oujdagirl
Summary: What would have happened if Rudy was actually in the basement with Liesel, the night heaven was bombed? Oneshot.


All characters belong to Markus Zusak ©

Please read and comment!!! My first fanfic!  
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What would've happened, if Rudy was in the basement with Liesel the night that Heaven was bombed?

Rudy couldn't sleep, his sister had already pushed him out the bed and he wanted so desperately to see Liesel, his best friend. He wanted to see her now. He couldn't wait. Rudy slipped out of the door, he thought the creak might have woken someone up, luckily it didn't. As Rudy walked into 33 Himmel Street, he noticed the door was unlocked. And there was a light on in the basement. He remembered that _Saumensch_ saying she was going to write a story about her life, the book thief. The _Saumensch_ had been sleeping in class because she was up so late at night. Rudy begged that Hans or Rosa wasn't in the basement; he would be in big trouble then.

As Rudy walked down the loud steps he heard a slight scrape of pencil and paper.

'Papa, I'll go to sleep soon, just please let me finish writing this page' She must have thought that Hans was standing behind her.

Rudy read what she was writing from behind her shoulder, _hair the colour of lemons_. He smiled and remembered that just a month ago, she had told him about Max, she had told him under the trees that they had hidden a year before with bread. That day, in the cool shade of trees, he wanted her to kiss him so much and he didn't know that she had wanted it too. He whispered. '_Saumench_?' He was so close to her that his uncut bangs were resting on her head. The two shades of blond were so similar.

Liesel jumped with fright, nearly hitting Rudy on the chin. 'You _Saukerl,_ why are you here? Don't I see enough of you all day, everyday?' she was grinning. Liesel had just written about the boy with the hair the colour of lemons, the boy she had befriended and now loved.

'I just wanted to ask you a question, and I couldn't wait. But if you want, I'll ask you tomorrow.' Rudy was grinning as well now. He slowly started to walk out towards the door, praying she would stop him.

'Well, if you must ask me a question, and you came here in the middle of the night to ask me. I might as well listen' she really wanted the question to be the one she was thinking of.

'Umm, well' Rudy blushed. He walked towards the girl with chocolate brown eyes until he was only a few inches away. 'How about a kiss, Saumench?'

Liesel didn't even answer the question; her heart was beating terribly fast in her chest while she made up the extra few inches towards his face.

Their lips touched, for what seemed like forever. Rudy and Liesel never wanted it to end. They both never wanted to leave each other. Rudy held onto Liesel's waist and Liesel put her arms over Rudy's now broad shoulders. They were entwined in the basement of 33 Himmel Street.

Then the bombs began to fall.

Liesel and Rudy were still kissing when the first bomb hit 33 Himmel Street. They were still entwined. But the force that flattened Himmel forced Rudy to fall backwards, he landed on the cold basement floor and Liesel landed on top of him, then the dust sheets covered both of them before the ceiling fell in. Luckily they were both safe.

Rudy was the first to hear the cuckoo and the sirens. It was too late for the rest of Himmel, but Liesel and Rudy still had a chance. They shouted at the top of their voices to each other, though they were only inches apart.

'The sirens are late. I think that we've been bombed!' Rudy shouted to Liesel, there was worry in his voice. 'What about the others? Do you think they are okay?'

Liesel started crying, it was happening all over again, she saw her brother's face staring at nothing. She knew that everyone was gone. She thought of her Papa, she would never hear him play the accordion again. Her Mama would never swear again. There would be no more soccer on Himmel. Liesel's tears landed on Rudy's face and she thought of the word shaker. Max might never come back.

Rudy suddenly realized why his best friend was crying, he then knew, nobody would be okay.

When it was quiet, Rudy tried to move. He couldn't of course as even though Liesel was light, there was a whole house collapsed on top of them. He shouted 'HELP! We are here!'

Liesel realized what he was doing; her Papa, oh Papa, had told her about the LSE, they should be coming soon. She reached across and found a grey paint tin. Her pencil was still in her hand and she banged the paint tin as hard as possible until she found an arm pulling her up into the light.

There was no light though; she only saw bodies and a blood red sky.

Before Rudy was pulled out, she saw her Mama and Papa; she saw Tommy Muller and his sister, Kristina. She saw the other Steiner's; Rudy's mother was the only one she could see clearly. When Rudy was pulled out, she hid in his chest and cried and Rudy cried with her. They were the only survivors on Himmel Street.

The LSE tried to make them come, but both Liesel and Rudy lay down with their families and both never wanted to get up. Liesel was hugging her Papa and Rudy, his big brother, Kurt, when they were both pried away. The two survivors were taken to the Police station. They stayed there for what seemed like many hours.

Liesel started crying again, she turned to Rudy. 'You could be dead; you might not have come to see me. You could be gone and I would still be here. I would have been alone'.

Rudy had already realized this, he was lucky to be alive, lucky. Or was it terrible? He would never see his big brother, Kurt, or play dominoes with his younger siblings. He would never see his Mama again either. Only his Papa, if he was still alive. 'I know, I'm glad I came to see the _Saumensch_ next door'.

Liesel's heart was tired; she had read that in a book, when times were happier. Now her heart was tired and hurting, she wanted her Papa. She had forgotten his accordion and now it would be rubbish, she rested her head on Rudy's shoulder and kept on crying. She later wondered, how on earth she could still cry after crying so much.

A lady with fluffy hair and a tall man in a suit came into the waiting room. 'We were told there were survivors from Himmel Street?'

The lady at the desk simply pointed to Liesel and Rudy.

Liesel didn't recognise the fluffy haired lady until she had crouched down in front of her. 'Frau Herman? Is that you?' She thought the world had ended and everyone had died. At least she had Rudy, Liesel had thought. But now she had Ilsa Herman.

On the long journey to 8 Grande Street, they passed Himmel. The street had almost all been cleared up. Both Rudy and Liesel jumped out of the motor car –while it was moving, and I say that this was not a wise thing to do- and searched the gravel and plaster. Nothing was left. Liesel didn't notice though that she had forgotten her own story and that I now carried it with me.

When they arrived at the mansion belonging to the mayor, nobody talked; they simply ate and slept, ate and slept. Over and over again, until the day of the funerals. And I say none of the occupants of that household wanted to go to them.

However, all four of them went to the funerals, they all cried, they all left and went _home_. _Home_, Liesel and Rudy had no home now.

Rudy was watching Liesel read in the library that he had only heard of in the happier times. Now they barely left each other's sides.

**A Small Conversation between survivors**

'**Do you think that maybe my father is still alive?'**

**Liesel paused, 'If he is, and you go to him, Will you?'**

'**Will I what?'**

'**Will you leave me here?'**

'**No, he will have to take both of us, I won't leave without you'**

Liesel managed a grateful smile and lay down on Rudy's chest; she could hear his steady heartbeat. She then heard a strong, four beat knock on the door and a deep, familiar voice.

'_Gutentag, Herr Herman. Ich bin Herr Steiner._ Hello Mr Herman, I am Mr. Steiner. I heard there were survivors on Himmel?' He was silently praying that one of those survivors were of his relation.

Liesel stood up; Rudy hadn't heard the knock or the voice. But she led him to the hall nonetheless.

**A reunion between father and son –and next door neighbour**

'**Papa?' the boy runs to his Papa and embraces him.**

**They hug for a while and a silent girl follows her best friend.**

**Alex Steiner sees her and hugs her too. Someone else from his old life.**

**The boy whispers to his father and the father smiles. He turns the girl and says, 'you can stay with us'**

Liesel smiled happily and joined in with the small celebrations in the hall. She might not have a home, but she had a small makeshift family.

**The contents of the whisper:**

**I kissed her, and I'm not leaving her, ever.**


End file.
